Across America Republican controlled legislatures are enacting laws to limit access to voting. The justification for reducing polling stations, curtailing early voting, cutting back the days and hours polls will be open, and requiring state issued photo ID’s (excluding such ID’s issued by state colleges and universities) is to protect against voter fraud.
We know this is not true. The evidence is unequivocal. Claims of widespread voter fraud is the only fraud that actually exists. In the very few cases (and I mean VERY few) where fraud has happened, the issue has almost always been that of a person with a legitimate ID voting when they were not eligible to do so, such as a convicted felon. Voter ID laws would have done nothing to prevent that from happening.
So let’s be clear. Voter fraud is a bogus claim made by Republicans who want to reduce the number of people who tend to vote for Democrats. Since a larger portion of poor people and minorities vote this way, and because a large percentage of them don’t have government issued photo ID’s and often vote early, they are the target of these efforts.
I want to say it plain and simple. These new voter suppression laws are not only un-American. They are immoral. Nothing is more fundamental to a democracy than the right to vote. Nothing is more anti-democratic and, thus, anti-American, than trying to limit that right. These laws solve no problem. They simply make it harder for people to exercise their right to vote because of the color of their skin or their station in life. That is why they are immoral.
That this is happening again here is almost surreal. Voter suppression laws represent a shameful past many of us thought we had put behind us. We were wrong. A past ugliness has raised its head again, no less racist and classist than it was the first time around. The poor and people of color were the targets then, and they are the targets now.
One sign of hope is that in most instances, the courts are stopping most of these laws before they take effect. But I have another hope – that pastors are willing to address this issue in one way or another in their congregations. In fact, I wonder how many ministers mentioned it yesterday in worship, either in prayer concerns, announcements, the pastoral prayer, or better yet, in the sermon?
This is not a partisan matter. It’s just that Republicans are the ones doing it. No Democrat controlled legislature has enacted such laws. But people of faith, whatever their political leanings, ought to be able to see that voter suppression laws are motivated not by a legitimate concern for election integrity, but by political ambition and racial and class prejudice. And if the church has nothing to say about this issue, what does it have to say about anything that matters in real life? I think this is a no brainer issue for churches. Challenging this kind of injustice is requisite for having credibility. But will churches do so?
I don’t know, to be honest, partly because some of them – perhaps many – are led by clergy who have censored themselves in speaking about issues like this because someone might accuse them of being political if they do. What they forget or ignore is that fact that the gospel is political. It just doesn’t have to be partisan, nor should it ever be. It is always risky to address issues of importance in the real world, but prophetic ministry requires it. Silence is not golden in the face of injustice.
I believe voter suppression is another one of those opportunities for churches to show the courage of their convictions, to speak to legislative immorality that should not be allowed to stand. Indeed, I don’t think churches can afford to miss another chance to show the world that we are willing to be a voice for those who have no voice and have no power. We have refused to take a stand too many times already. We cannot do the same thing on this one.
So if you went to church yesterday, I hope you heard your minister name these voter suppression laws for the un-American and immoral acts they are. If you preached, I hope you said as much. If in either case you didn’t, I hope next week you will be able to say you did.
